Track brake



Nov. 20, 1928.

W. MINER TRACK BRAKE Filed April 16, 1:12 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 W. MINERTRACK BRAKE Nov. 20, 1928.

Filed April 16, 1927 4 sheets-sheep 2 mm 5 3% mm m hm W. MINER TRACKBRAKE Nov. 20, 1928.

Filed April 16, 192"! 4 Sheets-Sheet Nov. 20, 1928. 1,692,090

w. MINER TRACK BRAKE Filed April 16. 1927 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Wm w '50 line66, Figure 2.

Patented Nov. '20, 1928.

WALTER M IllTER, OE SEATTLE, WASHINGTON.

TRACK BRAKE.

Application filed April 16.

This invention relates to a track brake or car retarder for use in railvay yards and at other places where it is desirable to retard movementof cars gravitating along the track.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide elongated grippingshoes having means actuated by the wheels of the caror cars forelevating them to active position.

A further object is to provide means for utilizing the weight of the caror cars for pressing the shoes against the faces of the wheels aftersaid shoes have been brought to active positions.

A still further object is to provide means for locking the shoes inactive positions'during the movement of a car along the supportingrails.

A still further object is to provide means controlled by the car forunlocking the shoes, thereby to permit them to shift automatically toinactive positions with the result that the retardingaction of the shoeswill be stopped. V

VJith the foregoing and other objects in view, which will appear as thedescription proceeds, the invention resides in the com.- bination andarrangement of parts andin the details of construction hereinafter de-39 scribed and claimed, it being understood that changes in the preciseembodiment o'f-the invention herein disclosed, may be made within thescope of what is claimed, without departing from the spirit of theinvention.

In the accompanying drawings, the preferred .form of the invention hasbeen shown.

In said drawings: 7 V

Figure 1 is a plan View of the brake 40 constituting the presentinvention.

Figure 2 is a side elevation the structure shown in Figure 1. Figure 3is a section on the line 3- 3, Figure 2. e

Figure 4 is a section on the line 44, Figure 1. I Figure 5 is a sectionon the line.55, Figure 1. v p V Figure 6 is an enlarged section on theFigure 7 is a perspective view of the connecting block of the brakelevers;

Figure 8 is a perspective View of one of the brake levers. V

Figure 9 is an enlarged section through the switch control box.

1927. Serial No. 184,392.

*Figure 10 is a section on line"1010,

Figure 9. I

Figure 11 is a view showing, in diagram,

a complete brake control mechanism.

Referringto the figures by characters of reference 1 designates parallelchannel beams arranged in'pairs and held properly assembled byattachment to ties 2. Secured between and to the channel beams 1 areupstanding guides 3. Each of these guideshas an I-b'eam-4 mounted foryielding or sagging movement therein under. the weight of a load, therebeing apertures 4 in-the I-beam through which are extended transverseretaining bolts 5 connected'to the guides. These bolts are preferably.extended 1 through spacing sleeves 6,. I

' Extending along both sides of each rail, but normally'spaced therefromare elongated brake shoes 8 each of which is supported by a'pair oflevers 9. The lower end por tions' of the levers are fulcrumed withinconnecting blocks 10, each block being provided with two of these leversoppositely disposed, one lever being connected to each of the brakeshoes. tended toward each othe'rrfrom the lower ends of the levers andproject under/and are engagedby the I-beam 4. The guides. 3 are.provided with cross members 12 .extending under the I-beams 4, thesecross members being so located that when-the I-beam is in its lowestposition, itwill rest on the cross members. When the connecting blockslOare in their normal'positions they are so located below the I-beams 4that thelovers 9 will be supported along upwardly diverging lines asshown by broken lines in Figure 6.

Each block 10 is provided with depending Short fingers 11 are ex-'flanges 13 pivotally connected to the upper end of a link 14 extending'therebetween. The link is arranged between the channel beams 1 and hasits lower end forked as'at levers 9 and one connecting block 10 adjacenteach end of eachpair of brake. shoes, and each of the blocks 10 has" oneof the links 14 with its roller.16. It is desirable of course that theselinks 14 be shifted simultaneously for the purpose of operating thebrake. Inorder to effect this simultaneous actuation of the links thesame are connected by strips 18 which can be adjustably connected at 19by a turnbuckle or the like, said strips being mounted on the bearingpins 20 of the rollers 16 as shown especially in Figure 6. Interposedbetween and secured to the connecting strips is a cross member 21 havinga stem 22 projecting therefrom and slidable within a guide lug 23. Aspring 24 is mounted on this stem and bears at one end against theconnecting member 21 and at its other end against the lug 23 so as thusto exert a constant thrust against the member, 21 and cause the strips18 to hold the rollers 16 normally thrust back from under the points ofconnection between the links 14: andthe block 20. Thus the links willnot support the blocks 10 in their highest position but, instead, willsupport them in the positions indicated by broken lines in. Figure 6.The strips 18 are connected, at one end, by a cross rod 25 engaging thelower end of a crank arm 26. This crank arm extends downwardly from oneend of a cross shaft 27 journaled on the channel beams 1 and extendingtransversely of but below the track rails. Ahead 28 is secured to oneend portion of the shaft 27 so as to rotate, therewith, and hingedlyconnected to this head is a tripping lever 29 curved in the direction ofits length and supported close i to one side of the one of the trackrails but Ca outer ends of these levers are connected by 1 links 32 toblocks 33 interposed between and secured to the strips 18. The innerends of the levers are connected by links 34L to a rod 35 mounted withina guide 36 and arranged between the sides of the track. Pivotallymounted on opposite sides of the rod 35 are latchlevers 37 havingbeveled heads 38 for engagement with a tapered collar 39 carried by therod 35. A spring 40 interposed between the latch levers serves to holdthe heads 38 normally pressedtoward each other.

A toggle 11;. connects the levers at one end to the core 12 of asolenoid 13. Under normal conditions the collar 39 is out of engagementwith the heads 38'of the latch lever, the parts beingpositionedsubstantially as shown in Figure 1.

The blocks 10 are mounted for up and down movement between the guidemembers 3' and additional guide members as securedbetween the channelbeams 1, these guide members 3 and lt serving to hold the blocks 10against movement longitudinally of the beams 1 during the application ofthe brake. Furthermore the gu de members 3 an be braced by means of orYl members 4-5 bolted or otherwise connected thereto as shown in Figure'2.

Arranged at any suitable point within the railroad yard is a housing46in which arranged an electric motor 17 the shaft 48 of which has a worm59 adapted to drive a worm gear 50. This gear is secured to-a shaft 51having a small gear 52 rotatable therewith. A frame 53 is pivotallymounted within. the housing and carries a segmental gear 5 1 providedwith a cam 55. A stop 56 is carried by the cam and a spring 57, which isattached to the segmental gear and to the frame 53, serves to hold thestop normally pressed against the frame 53, shown in Fi 'ure 10. A to le58 is connectedto and ca 23b interposed between the frame 53 and onewall of the housing l6, so as to hold the segmental gear 5 1 normallyspacedfrom the small gear 52. This toggle is connected to the core 59 ofa solenoid 60.

Mounted oncthe I-heams l adjacent one end ofthe brake shoe is ayieldingly sup-1 ported strip 61 normally spaced from a contact spring62 but adapted, when. depre d to move said contact spring against a ficontact 63. These contacts are of (0111.2 normally insulated from eachother and from the'strip 61 as shown in Figure 1 1. The two contacts 62and 63 arerelectrically connected to the solenoid so that when thesecontacts are broughttogether the sole noid' will be energized and thetoggle 58 actuated to draw the segmental mesh with the gear 52. V

A rock shaft 64 is journaled in the housing 46 and has an arm 65extending into the path of the cam 55. Another arm 66 is extended fromthe shaft 6 and engages a roller 67 carried by one'end of lever 68. Thislever is electrically connected as at 69 to a battery 70 or other sourceof electricity and to the solenoid 13. In the path of lever 68 butnormally spaced therefrom is a staat 72, tothe solenoid 13. v r

Under normal conditions the parts are positioned asillustrate'dinFigures ,1, 2 and 10. When the parts are to be operatedthe motorl'? is set inoperation and this opera tion continuesuninterrupted aslong as desired. The motor therefore serves to drive theshaft 51continuouslyv but as the gears 52 and 5 1 are normally out ofmesh, this rotation of the shaft will not produce any results underordinary conditions. Then a car approaches the track brake, the advanctionary contact 71 electrically connected, as

in r wheels will pass between the outwardly diverging ends 73 oftheshees 8, but immediately prior to this, one of the wheels will moveonto and depress t -e tripping lever 25 The depression of this leviwillresult in a pull being exerted through the crank arm 26 and the strips18 upon the lower end portions the links with the result that theselinks will be swung away from theposltion shown for example inFigure2to' an almost vertical position as shown in Figure l. The blocks10 will therefore be elevated from the broken line position shown inFigure 6 to the full line position and as the weight of the car. isreceived by the rails 7 above the beams 4, said beams l will be thrustdownwardly under the weight and depress the fingers 11. As a result ofthis action the brake shoes will be pressed firmly against opposed facesthe wheel passing therebetween with the result that the movement of thecar will be retarded. "When the trip lever 29 is depressed explained,the strips 18 are pulled lon rudinany. Motion will be transmittedthrough the links and levers 31 to the links and therod 35 with theresult that the I the rod 85 *ill be forced against and between theheads 88 with the result that these heads and the latch levers 87 wi lsnap into engagement with the collar 39 as shown in Figure 3, therebyholding the parts against retrograde nim'einent. Immediately ifbllowingthe actuation the parts as explained the rails 7 and the beams 4supporting the same will be caused to sag slightly under the weight ofthe car passing therealong and this sagging action will be suflicient tocause the beams l depress the lingers '11 and cause the levers 9 toswing toward eachcther. Consequently the brake shoes will be pressedtightly against opposed faces of the wl eels of the car and t 1emovement of, the car greatly retarded.

As the sin le car being retarded ap proaches the far end of the brakmechanism of the wheels W will depress the strip 61 and thereby closethe circuit to the sole, n-oi d 60. This will result in the actuation ofthe toggle 58 to swing the frame and more the segmental gear 54: intomesh with the gear 52. Consequently the segmental its cam 55 will moveaway from their normal positions, the cam coming ag iinst the arm andcausing the arm 66 to swing against the lever 68; Thus the circuit tothe solenoid 43 wi l be closed by the contacts 71 and 68 with the resultthat the toggle 4:. will be shifted to swing the latch levers 37relative to each other and thereby to disengage the heads 38 from thecollar As the springs 24 have been held under compression by the latchlevers 37 and the parts restrained thereby, these springs promptly shiftthe strips 18 and the links 14;

tr pared collar 39 on will be.

I will when collar39 is released with the result that the brakeshoes 8will swing outwardly from the car wheels due to the downward movement ofthe blocks 10 and consequently lowering of the fingers 11 relative tothe beam 4, After the circuit has been broken be tween the contacts 62and 63 by the passing of the car therefrom, the spring 57 which has beenplaced under tension when the magnet was energized, will return thesegmental gear 54: and the cam 55 to their nor mal positions, the toggle58 dropping back.

to normal position to disengage gears 5e and 52. Of course this returnmovement of the parts will result in the breaking of the cirmomentary,the gear'54 will nothave time to move out of mesh with gear 51.

The brake shoes can of course be provided with removable'triction strips7 l which can be readily repaired or replaced, when worn.

Although thehousing 46 has been shown provided with only one solenoid60, it is to be understood that other solenoids and mechanismscooperating therewith can be used in the housing these mechanisms beingprovided for different b 'akes or retraders located at diilerent, pointsin the railroad yards. In other words the electrical apparatus, otherthan the latch levers and their solenoids can all be located in a singlehous ing located at-some convenient point.

hat is claimed is:

l. The combination with a track rail and a Jun downwardly movablesupport therefor, of w a traclr brake'including elongated shoes atopposite sides of the rail, means operated by a car approaching thebrake for shifting the shoes toward cachother and for operativelyconnecting the'shoes to the rail support, said support when depressedunder the weight of a car thereon, being adapted to press the sheestoward each other when operatively connected to the rail support.

2. The combination with a track rail and a downwardly yieldable supporttherefor, of a track brakeincluding-elongated shoes at opposite sides ofthe rail, levers supporting the shoes, means operated by a car approaching a brake for shifting the'levers against therail support to move theshoes toward each other, said suport when subjected to the weight of thecar being adapted to impart further movement to the levers, thereby topress the shoes against opposite sides car wheel mounted on the rail.

The combination with a track rail and a yieldable support therefor, of atrack brake including elongated shoes at opposite sides oi? the rail,levers supporting the shoes, means operated by a car approaching theshoes -for lifting the levers thereby to press them against therail-supporting means and swing the shoes toward each other, means forautomatically locking the levers and Ole - shoes in said position, saidrail supporting means for automatically locking the levers and the shoesin shifted positions, said rail supportingmeans, when subjected to theweight of a car, being adapted to further actuate the levers to pressthe shoes against the sides of the car wheels, and means controlled by awheel of the car while passing between the shoes, for unlocking theshoes and lovers.

5. The combination with spaced upstand ing guides,a beam mounted thereinto yield under the weight of a load, and a tr clc rail supported by thebeam, of elongated brake shoes adjacent the sides of but above the rail,movable means for supporting the shoes normally away from the rail,means actuated by a car approaching the shoes for shifting said movablemeans relative to the beam thereby to move the shoes toward the railtherebetween, said movable suporting means and the beam cooperatingtopress the shoes against the sides of the wheels of a car on the railwhen the beam is subjected to the weight 01"- said car.

6. The combination with a track rail and a beam supporting the sameadapted to yield when subjected to a load, of elongated brake shoes atopposite sides of but above the rail, means operated by a carapproaching the shoes for elevating the shoes relative to the rail andswinging said shoes toward each other, a latch forautomaticallyfastening the shoes in elevated positions, said means andthe shoe shifting means cooperating to pressshoes at opposite sides ofbut above the'rail,

means operated by a car approaching the shoes for elevating the shoesrelative to the rail and swinging said shoes towarc'l each other, latchfor automatically fastening the shoes in different positions, said meansand the shoe shifting means cooperating to se the shoes against thesides otthe nheels of the car on the rail when the rail and thsupporting beam are subjected to the weight of a car, and means operatedby the car when moving relative to the shoes, for releasing the shoes,said means including a solenoid operatively connected to the as tenii'igmeans, an electrically operated gear shift, a circuit closer controlledby the gear shift electrically connected to the-sole noid. 7

8. The combination with a track rail and beam supporting the sameadapted to yield when subjected to a load, of elongated brake shoes atopposite sides of but above the rail, means operated by a carapproaching the shoes for elevating the shoes relative to the rail andswinging said shoes toward eachother, a latch for automaticallyfastening the shoes 1n dillerent positions, said means and the shoeshifting means cooperating to cn sul -ected to a load, of elongatedbrake V v v Elli press the shoes against the sides of the wheels V g ofthe car on the rail when the rail and'the supporting beam are subjectedto they weight of a car, and means operated by the car when movingrelative to the shoes for releaslng the shoes, said means including asolenoid adapted, when energized, to actuate the fastoning means torelease. the shoes, a switch for controlling a circuit to the solenoid,a motor, a gear normally uncoupled therefrom, an electrically operatedgear shift controlled by the last named car actuating means for couplingsaid gear to the motor, and means operated by the motor for actuatingthe switch and the solenoid.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto afiiXedmy signature.

\VALTER MINER.

